Revised committee will benefit research for general practice 

A Trust founded in 1967 has recently been reworked to future proof how the College allocates funds for medical research that benefits general practice. 

The Research and Education Charitable Trust (RECT) did not keep pace with the rule changes that occurred when a Board replaced the College’s governing council in 2012. 

The Trust has been replaced by the new Research and Education Committee (REC), as a sub-committee of the College Board. Members will be appointed based on: 

• Two College board members
• Two National Advisory Council (NAC) members
• One member of Te Akoranga a Māui
• One senior manager from the College. 

The new REC means the administrative burden of running a separate Trust is removed.  As the College is a charitable trust in its own right, a second Trust to administer a relatively small amount of member funds was considered unnecessary. 

After member consultation, a Special General Meeting of RECT was held and a unanimous decision to disestablish the Trust was upheld.  Then the historic balance of RECT funds was transferred to the new REC.  

The REC functions under a Terms of Reference, its purpose is to fund small research projects to benefit general practice.  REC gets its funds from a very small annual levy ($10) on College members. 

Funding applications are now being accepted by REC

Funding applications are now being accepted for consideration with part or full funding of general practice research, including rural hospital medicine, being considered. Guidelines of the work the REC will support will be published soon. In the meantime if you email rec@rnzcgp.org.nz  we will send you an application form. Applicants don’t have to be College members or doctors. Applications need to be submitted by end of day on 8 September 2020. Up to 15 applications will be funded in the next round.